Being Made Visible

I have always been a little bit different from the average believer. I am always questioning how the Word of God is interpreted, how it is explained and taught by others. I just don't automatically accept as spiritual food whatever is taught as if it's good lean meat. I find most of it usually has some bones in it that I have to spit out.

No, I may not know any more than you do. But I base everything I believe … not on what I have heard men teach or preach … but upon what little I know and understand in the Word of God.

So today I want to share my views about … "the return of Jesus" … knowing before hand some people may not agree with my personal opinions. It's not that they can't agree … many just don't want to accept or even consider the facts; they have their minds already made up. A good example of this type of attitude comes from St. Augustine. He was asked once why the Jews as a nation could not believe in Jesus. His answer was … "They could not, because they would not."

I was reading one morning, 1st Corinthians 1:7 in my Amplified Bible trying to refresh myself on the Apostle Paul's instruction for Christian living in a culture with moral conditions that should be considered inferior even by pagan standards. America's culture today is just like the conditions Paul found the Corinthian church in.

The last half of verse 7 is what triggered these thoughts again in my spirit. I've had them many times before … but now I feel the need to put them down on paper.

Paul wrote in verse 7 that we are to … "Wait and watch for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and His … being made visible … to all."

This return or 2nd coming of the Lord has been referred to since 1830 as … "the rapture of the church" … even though the word "rapture" isn’t used in the Bible. How did this phrase become so popular if it’s not scriptural?

A young Scottish woman named Margaret MacDonald had a dream in 1830. Her dream contained all that is taught today about the rapture … meeting the Lord in the air, secrecy, suddenness, invisibility, imminency, and a pre-tribulation separation of believers and unbelievers. The last part is what makes most people want to accept her dream as scriptural. It makes them more comfortable.

She sent a handwritten copy of her dreamed "revelation" to Edward Irving, a controversial minister drawing large crowds to his church in London. Most people thought this "new truth" was something Irving found in the Bible, and being a popular preacher, his views were quickly adopted. His preaching popularized the new theory, and within a few years it became the greatest preaching tool they could use. "Jesus could come back tonight! Are you ready for His return?" For over 1800 years nobody had even heard or thought about … "a secret 2nd coming." Even Jesus never spoke about it!

The word "rapture" comes from the two words "caught up" in 1st Thessalonians 4:17. The Greek word Paul used is "harpazo" which means … to seize, catch away, pluck up or take by force.

Look back again at Paul's words I started with in verse 7. He was saying that Jesus would be … "made visible to all." Paul is instructing the believers in the city of Cornith to … "wait and watch" … for the return of Jesus during their lifetime. Paul expected it at any time. It was obvious to Paul, this return wasn't going to be in secret … His return would be made … visible to all.

So as not to base this thought only from the Amplified Bible, I turned to the standard most versions are compared with … the Kings James Bible. The last half of verse 7 in it reads slightly different … "waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The first thing I noticed was it didn't say anything about being made "visible," so I started looking up the original Greek words found in the K.J.V. The word "coming" in the original means … "disclosure by appearing, to be revealed by coming."

So, would I be wrong if I conclude that Paul, by using the Greek word … "apokalupsis" … translated "coming" in the K.J.V. is saying, Jesus is coming back to be revealed.

But not stopping there, I also looked at the word "waiting" in verse 7 which means … "to fully expect, to look while you wait." So I think one could say that the Amplified version has accurately captured the intent of Paul's words. I would say they mean … "to fully expect Jesus to be revealed to all at His coming."

I suppose one could argue that only those waiting and looking for His return will see Him visibly, so I started looking for more scripture on His returning.

2nd Thessalonians 1:6-10 … "Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints …"

Some would say this scripture is not speaking of the "rapture" but rather His "revelation" when He comes back to rule for a thousand years. Well, if that is the case … why is Paul telling these believers who are being troubled and afflicted, to rest in the fact that when Jesus is revealed He will take action against those who are causing them distress. Why didn't Paul tell them to wait for the rapture, the secret coming of the Lord instead? When he said "rest with us" why didn't he tell them that they would soon be plucked up, caught away (raptured) out of this trouble?

The teaching today is that unlike the Christians in the coliseums that were torn apart by lions, God is going to protect us from anything bad. We must be special.

Speaking of being plucked up … in Matthew 13:24-30, we have the parable of the wheat and the tares. The wheat represents the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one. The servants see the tares growing with the wheat and ask if they should be plucked up. The Lord of the harvest says no … "if you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them. Wait for the harvest and I will say to the reapers, Gather together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."

The words … "root up" … in Matthew 13:29 is "ekrizoo" which means to pluck up by the roots. What was the meaning of the word used for rapture? (To pluck up or take by force.)

So … if we understand correctly what Jesus is saying in this teaching … when the Lord of the harvest (Jesus) comes to gather His good wheat, He is going to pluck up the tares … FIRST … before He plucks up, catches away or raptures His wheat.

Wait just one minute. I thought the rapture happened first. That's what this young girl's dream showed us back in 1830. So which are we to believe?

Continuing on in 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-5 … "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (the rapture?)
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ (the rapture?) is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except (the following things must happen) there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, (before the rapture) the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?"

Some have asked … "Why wasn't Paul more explicit in his teaching about the return of Christ?" I think he just answered that question. Evidently when he was with this church in person, he told them or instructed them about all these things that he believed was about to happen in their lifetime. This is why he said … "Remember, I told you these things" … which is the reason he doesn't go over them again. Remember, this was a letter to them … not us.

Another familiar scripture I want to look at is found in 1st Thessalonians 4:15-18 …

"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (raptured) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Again Paul's statement makes me believe he thought he would be alive when Jesus came back. But Paul wasn't through with all his instruction on this matter.

When Paul wrote this letter, he didn't put chapter headings or verse numbers in it. The translators of the Bible put them in for ease of reference to help us find scriptures. So to understand the things he has been writing about, especially the time frame when these things will happen, we need to keep on reading this letter.

1st Thessalonians 5:1-6 … "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
For yourselves know perfectly that (the rapture?) the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day (the rapture) should overtake you as a thief.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."

Daniel 8:25 … also speaks of this man of sin, the antichrist being in the temple … "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand."

The question that remains is; when shall … "we which are alive and remain be caught up (raptured) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air?" Paul's answer to this question was, when the world begins to say … "peace and safety." You must decide for yourself if perhaps it is because of the world wide policies of the antichrist that create a false sense of peace?

I would like to believe in the rapture of the church as it is taught today. I want to believe in this young girl's dream instead of scripture … but I don't. Sorry.

I think I will stick with the facts found in the Word of God. I have only presented a small sampling of what's given in God's Word on this subject. There is much more. Look and see for yourself … do not only believe what others have said … including me.

I have been known to be wrong.

But … He will be made visible … to all.

I will close with the following scriptures concerning the return of Jesus.

Acts 1:9-11 … "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (I believe that means … visible.)

Matthew 24:30-31 … "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, (as in 1st Thess. 4:16?) and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (The elect in the N.T. always refer to born again believers.)

John 14:1-3 … "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (Jesus said He was coming back again, meaning one time, not again and again as some teach.)

Revelation 1:7 … "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen." (Jesus comes back in like manner as He went … visible to all.)

It's in the Book!

Unanswered Prayer

If you are like me, then you have experienced more than once the "trying of your faith" waiting on an answer to prayer. If something is trying, it usually refers to something that is hard to endure. Waiting is hard. It runs counter to who we are. We don't want to wait on anything. Waiting for an answer to prayer is even harder.

Maybe patience is the word I'm looking for. You have heard the phrase … "Having the patience of Job." Well, most of us don't have it when it comes to prayer. Why should we need it? After all, who are we talking to when we pray? God, right? So, why should we have to wait? I mean, He's God! If He wanted to, He could zip the answer right back to us with no waiting.

But He seldom does that. Why? Because the trying of your faith … works … patience. It doesn't build patience; it causes you to exercise it. God is patient; no … that's one of His attributes. God is love. God has patience. God is patient with us. He proves it every day as He works with us.

I want to look at a portion of scripture that might help us understand a little better why it seems as though God leaves some of our prayers unanswered.

Could it be that we give up too soon on God?

Daniel 10:12-13 … "And he said unto me, Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand, and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come because of thy words.
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me …"

In the scripture above there is a practical truth that may be of use to us, and that truth is … the answer to prayer is often delayed … not by any degree of unwillingness on the part of God to answer it; nor by any purpose not to answer it, or even by the intention of trying our faith, but … by the necessary arrangements to bring it about. It may be of such a nature, such as the changing of a man's will, that it cannot be answered all at once.

During the whole three weeks, twenty-one days in which Daniel was in fasting and prayer or as he called it … mourning … which is what fasting and prayer can sometimes feel like; an angel (most likely Gabriel) had been dispatched from Heaven with the answer to his prayer. In fact he was sent … the first day he began to pray … but he had been delayed during all that time by some type of opposition that had met him in Persia.

It required all of the twenty-one days to overcome whatever obstacles existed there in Persia that opposed Gabriel making the arrangements which were necessary to secure the answer to his prayers. Daniel, not knowing that arrangements by God were in progress, or that an angel had already been sent to secure the answer to his prayers, was allowed by God to continue praying for the answer the whole time believing his prayers would eventually be answered.

So, how many arrangements may there be in progress designed for the single purpose of answering our prayers of which we know nothing about. How many people may need to be involved to bring about the answer? What obstacles may be in a process of removal unknown to us; what changes may need to be made or what influences exerted while we pray, including praying right on through many types of discouragements, even to the point of trying our faith and patience?

We may be required to pray for a much longer period of time than Daniel experienced before all the arrangements … according to God's Sovereign Providence … come together for us to receive the answer to our prayers. Depending on what it is, the things to be done may extend far into future months or years. People in government may have to be voted out of office; jobs or addresses may need to be changed.

It requires time to make important changes; to influence the minds of men; to remove obstacles; to put in operation agencies that will secure the thing desired. There may be some obstacle to be overcome. There may be some plan of evil to be hindered. There may be some medical treatment to be used which is not now in existence, and which is to be created.

Prayer is not always just operating in the physical realm. The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6:12 … "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

John Wesley spoke the truth when he said … "The spiritual realm is dark unto us … but we lie open to it."

With Daniel, the opposition of the "Prince of Persia" could not be overcome at once, and it was necessary to bring in the agency of a higher power … that being Michael, the archangel … to effect the change. This could not be done in a moment, a day, or a week, but it took the long delay of three full weeks, twenty-one days before Daniel had an assurance that his prayers would be answered.

So it often happens now.

Take for example … we pray for the salvation of a loved one; yet there may be obstacles to his conversion, unseen by us, which are to be patiently removed, even perhaps by another's influence, before it can be done. Satan may have secured a control over his heart, which, is to be broken gradually, before the prayer will be answered.

We pray for certain laws like abortion to be changed; yet these laws may be so tied to the will of men, that they cannot be done away with quickly. Time may be needed for a change in their hearts.

Did this not happen with the evils of slavery? How many prayed for how long? What about W.W.II? Again, it took time for change. God has given men, even evil men … a free will … to do as they choose.

Of course I must add this disclaimer about the power of the evil one …

Things have changed from Daniel's day, ever since Jesus came and defeated the devil.

The Apostle Paul, speaking about Jesus, wrote this in Colossians 2:15 … "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it."

The lesson then, which is taught in Daniel, is this. God hears and answers prayer … although the answer to prayer … seems long delayed.

Have patience in prayer and have faith in God, for He will answer.

Something we do not have …

I was listening intently to our Pastor's sermon one Sunday morning not too long ago when all of a sudden one phrase just jumped out at me. He was speaking about Jesus as our High Priest, someone we can go to who knows what we go through, who has felt the same things we feel.

You know, the normal things such as cold, heat, hunger, thirst, pain … all the physical things as well as emotional things like loneliness, or perhaps being misunderstood or mocked and laughed at. Then there are things like people lying about us or making false accusations, even to the point of betrayal by our friends.

I would like to add to the list of things one of my problems … self doubt … but I won't because I really don't think Jesus would have been troubled by anything even close to doubt. He was God … but He was also man … so who knows.

If I let my mind wander off, I end up asking questions like … Did He ever get sick? Did Jesus ever cut Himself working with carpenter tools? When He was a boy, did He ever fall down and scrape His knee and have His blood drip on the ground? And if it did, was that spot on the Earth made pure and holy by that blood? Or was it only later on the cross while He carried the weight of the world's sin in His body that His blood became effectual and healed both spiritually and physically whatever it touched?

Anyway while listening to the sermon; in my spiritual mind I started seeing Jesus as He is today. Hebrews 10:12 states … "But this man, (Jesus) after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God …" to make intercession for us. In fact Hebrews 7:25 declares … "He ever liveth to make intercession for them" … (them) meaning anyone who comes to God for help.

In Hebrews chapter 9, it states that Jesus … "by his own blood entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" … and just as Moses did in the earthly tabernacle, Jesus in the heavenly tabernacle that was not made with hands, sprinkled His own blood on the mercy seat.

So now here I am, mentally wandering away from my Pastor's sermon, thinking about Jesus taking His own blood into Heaven where He sprinkled it on the Mercy Seat as full payment for sin … and then later after He ascended into Heaven returned to that very same Mercy Seat and sat down on the right hand of God and now He ever lives to make intercession for us.

I've spoken of this … intercession … hoping you will fully understand the importance of what Jesus is now doing. His on going intercession for us can't be only for sin because the sin question was answered forever with His one sacrifice. So what else can it be?

Let's look at two other verses and try and let scripture interpret scripture.

Hebrews 4:15-16 … "For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." K.J.V.

By saying that we … "do not have a high priest that cannot be touched with those same feelings" … means that He is touched. Isn't that right?

The Amplified reads …

"For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.
Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]."

So the question that formed in my mind was this. Can Jesus, as our High Priest, our intercessor; can He really be touched in His heart, in His spirit … "with the feeling of our infirmities?" Can that happen unless He has the very same feeling, the very same pain, the very same hurt or whatever it is that we feel? He's not just touched; He makes "contact" with … the feeling.

I don't think this scripture is only talking about … "our sinful infirmities of temptation." I would like to believe, I want to believe that Jesus cares about any and all of my problems in this life, not just sin.

After all, He was the one who said in John 16:33 … "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

In closing, would I be doing the Scripture injustice if I were to conclude that Jesus is not only … "touched" … emotionally affected by our infirmities, but with an intuitive understanding, He actually … "feels" … our hurt, the emotional inner pain that we feel for a loved one when we intercede and pray for them. The type or size of the problem doesn't matter.

Something we do not have … is a High Priest who cannot be touched, unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities.

So … draw near … with every need.

I Miss Him

I woke up today, walked into my bathroom, looked into the mirror and saw a stranger looking back at me. What happened to the man I used to be?

I miss him.

I remember a young man with dark brown curly hair. The guy I saw in my mirror had very little hair on top; what was there no longer was brown … kind of a dirty gray. He also looked old and tired. I remember him a little taller, not much, maybe an inch and a half or so.

Gravity … it must have bent him over some. He also looks and feels a little bit heavier than he used to be. This old guy no longer has the same muscle tone he used to have, he's weaker and a little slower … no, a lot slower these days.

But you know what? I really don't care. You know why? Because … "This is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

There's another thing I miss even more than my youth … the faith in God I had as a young believer. Has life stolen it from me?

As a young believer I didn't know there were some things God wouldn't do. It's not that He isn't able; He has the ability. Luke 1:37 … "For with God nothing shall be impossible."

I read in my Bible that Jesus said in John 14:14 … "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." All you had to do was ask. That settled it for me.

I miss that.

Life has taken its toll on me I guess. I'm not even sure if "toll" is the right word to use. I think it is. (It means … value measured by what must be given or done or undergone to obtain something.) In other words … "the cost paid in life."

But have I obtained or given up … faith in God? It has to be one or the other.

I know more about God now than I did in my youth. I still believe … that's not in question. When I was younger I knew most of the answers … or so I thought. As I look into this mirror today, the one truth that hasn't changed over time is this … "Jesus was and still is the answer" … no matter what.

In my youth, I guess you could say I was … "armed and dangerous" … or so I thought. I just believed the Word of God was true. Quote it, say it, claim it and you will receive it ... bless God. But of course that formula didn't always work. I thought God was obligated to answer our prayers. Was that faith or presumption?

But then I learned it wasn't about me or what I wanted. It was about what God wanted for me. I have finally accepted as truth that God and God alone is Sovereign and that He operates His Providence, His loving watch care over us with grace and mercy … as He so chooses.

So what has life taught me as I have walked one step at a time on the path God has set before me? Do you realize that God only lights our path far enough ahead so we can only see the next step. He wants us to take each step … by faith. If we could see down the path farther, there would be times when we wouldn't want to continue on that pathway.

Many times He sends us out into the storm as He did with His disciples for the single purpose of … "putting our faith on trial."

And when that happens, the best advice for us comes from a pretty intelligent man by the name of Solomon who wrote in Proverbs 3:5-6 … "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon himself places life on trial, using this question as a basis … "What does man have left after all of his labor in which he toils under the sun?"

The effect of this trial was the discovery that every effort to be happy ends in nothing. The greater the capacity for enjoyment, the deeper and wider is the experience of disappointment in life. Pleasure does not satisfy and cannot secure happiness in this world.

There is no allusion to the truth that we are dead in sins and offences. The result in the mind of Solomon from the trial of life is this … There is nothing better than to enjoy the things which God has given us; but in the end he says … "the fear of God is the whole duty of man" … and that should be what rules our walk on earth, not the gratifying of our own will.

In Solomon's Proverbs we have practical moral guidance as we walk through life in this world. But in Ecclesiastes, Solomon gives the result of his placing life on trial. The result is that it is … "this world" … that is brought into question … not God.

Am I the same guy I was in my youth? No. I don't need to look into a mirror to know that. Do I really miss him? No, not really. I miss the potential he had and wasted. It takes time to learn; and I'm a slow learner. I thank God for His patience with me.

So, what have I learned from the trials of life? "Pray, trust God and go on."

It doesn't matter if life isn't fair. That should have no bearing on how we walk through life. Many years ago, Peggy … my gift from God to help me through this life … said the following statement to me that has acted as a level, a pivot point, a stake in the rocky ground, a compass to find my direction when I'm lost.

"If it won't change where you spend eternity … then it doesn't really matter."

Three thousand or so years ago another saint of God must have felt the very same way as Peggy does because he wrote …

"Although (which means … even though, in spite of the fact that) the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation." (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

Blessings to you as you grow older and wiser in the Lord …